Desk and sign illuminator



March 4, 1924;

P. S. VAN BLOEM DESK AND SIGN ILLUMINATOR Filed Oct'. 10 I 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v VENTbR eylcr iizlzfiloem ATTORNE Y5" March 4 1924.

- 1,485,472 P. S. VAN BLQEM -DESK AND SIGN ILLUMINATOR Filed Oct. 10. 1922 2 ts-Sheet 2 E 9. 2

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ATTORNEYS T E I PAUL SCHUYLER VAN BLOEM, 0F HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE VIKING PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DESK AND SIGN ILLUMINATOR.

Application filed October 10, 1922. Serial No. 593,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL SCHUYLER VAN BLoEM, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desk and Sign Illuminators, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of this invention is to provide a device which will serve both as a counter, display case and desk and sign illuminator. The invention is adapted es pecially for use in banks, railroad stations, hotels and the like where it is desirable to illuminate the desks of the clerks or tellers and at the same time illuminate a sign over the tellers window. The device may be adapted for various uses of this kind. In the practical application of devices of this kind in modern banking oflices, it is desirable that the sign or name plate shall be so arranged as to have the appearance of being a part of the regular counter, screen fixtures or partitions and not have the appearance of being an additional sign or name plate over the tellers window. It is also desirable that the illuminating means be concealed back of the front wall of the.

tellers cage or room and that said illumi nating device shall be closed, light-tight on all sides except its bottom so that all the light rays from the said device will be di rected downwardly on the tellers desk on the forward portion thereof and directly in front of the teller. It is also desirable in devices of this kind that the lamps which illuminate the desk shall also illuminate the sign or name plate.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the front wall of a tellers cage showing the combined desk illuminator and sign in position over the tellers win- Fig. 2a front elevation of a portion of a bank partition showing the sign in position over the tellers window;

Fig. 3 a perspective view of the illuminator and sign, the door of the device being shown open and one end of the device shown as being broken away; and

Fig. 4: a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the forward wall of the illuminator, said wall being approximately as long as the tellers cage and being adapted to fit squarely against the front partition of the cage above the tellers window. This wall is provided with upwardly extending lugs 2, by means of which the device is socured in position. As shown in Fig. 1 screws or other fastening devices may be passed through these lugs and into the wall of the cage. The bottom wall 3 of the illuminator consists of an open rectangular frame secured to, or formed integral with, the lower edge of the front wall. The opening in the bottom of the illuminator is closed by a glass 4, said glass being arranged within the illuminator and resting on the rectangular frame 3. This glass plate is secured in position by any suitable form of clips or other retaining device, arranged within the illuminator. The top of the illuminator consists of a rigid section 6 which is permanently connected to, or formed integral with, the upper edge of the front wall of the illuminator; and a movable or hinged section 7 which is connected to the inner edge of the rigid section by hinge 8. The hinged section is coextensive with the length of the illuminator, or approximately so, and the illuminator is co-extensive with the width of the tellers cage or approximately so. The glass 4 closes the entire bottom of the illuminator except, of course, for the rectangular frame 3, said frame being comparatively narrow so that almost the entire bottom of the illuminator is of glass; and this glass is rigidly and permanently held in position. The inner or rear wall 9 of the illuminator depends from the inner or rear edge of the movable hinged section 7 of the top wall so that said rear wall and the hinged section of the top forms a closure for the rear side of the illuminator and may be swung upwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to give access to the interior of the illuminator. A rotatable fastening clip 10 is mounted in the lower edge of the rear wall 9 and is adapted to engage an upstanding flange 11 on the bottom of the illuminator to lock the rear wall in its closed position. To the inner side of the rigid section of the upper wall are secured two suitable refiector plates 12, said plates being maintained in position by clips 13. The hinged section 7 of the upper wall of the illuminator carries on its inner surface a reflector plate 14; and said hinged section of the top extends inwardly and downwardly at a suitable angle in order to reflect the light rays from the illuminating lamps inwardly and downwardly. To prevent the light rays passing outwardly through the hinged joint, a laterally extending flange 15 is secured to the inner surface of the rigid section of the top, said flange bridging the joint between the rigid section and the hinged section and extending slightly over the reflector plate 14. This shield 15 effectually prevents the passage of light rays through the hinged joint.

Across the upper forward corner of the illuminator is secured an inclined partition plate 16 which forms a channel 17 to receive the electric'circuit wires. These wires are 1 indicated at 18. The partition plate 16 runs through the length of the illuminator and forms a support or base plate to which the electric lamp sockets 19 are secured. These lamp sockets carry the lamp bulbs 20, said bulbs being approximately at the center of the illuminator, as shown clearly in Fig. 1 so that the rays therefrom will be reflected downwardly from the reflector sections 12 and 14. The rays from these lamps will also pass forwardly through the transparent letters of the sign or name plate, as will be fully hereinafter described.

T e forward wall of the illuminator is formed with a longitudinally extending opening 21, said opening being substantially co-extensive with the name plate tobe used.

Secured to the forward side of the front wall of the tellers cage, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. This stencil plate is secured in position by means of screws 24, or other fastenlng, devices, which pass through the stencil plate and into the wall of the tellers cage. This stencil plate is cut out to receive the glass letters 25 which are formed with the back plates 26 adapted to rest against the inner side of the stencil plate, the letters 25 projecting forwardly through the openings in the plate. The letters are held in position by means of a transparent plate 27 which is secured to the inner side of the stencil plate by means of clips 28. The collar 22 is connected to the front wall of the illuminator by means of bolts 29 which extend through a the lamps will pass directly through the opening 21 and through the collar to the glass letters of the sign.

The illuminator is preferably provided with closed ends 32 so that when the hinged rear wall 9, which constitutes a door for the device, is closed, no light rays can escape from the illuminator except through the glass bottom thereof. The door, which is made up of the rear wall 9 and the hinged section 7 of the top, will normally and automatically tend to close and will be held closed by gravity. This is a great advantage in devices of this kind where it is desirable that the illuminator shall be always closed on its rear side and at its top except, of course, when it is desired to renew, replace or clean the illuminating lamps and glass bottom.

It will, of course, be understood that the opening 21 and the collar 22 will be of the necessary dimensions to adapt them for use with the desired stencil plate. Of course, the size of the stencil plate will vary in accordance with the number of letters or words in the sign or name to be displayed.

What I claim is:

1. A desk and sign illuminator adapted to be secured to a room wall and comprising an elongated box or casing formed with a front having a longitudinal opening therein, a transparent bottom, a rigid opaque top and closed ends, a movable rear pivotally supported at the inner or rear edge of the rigid top, a longitudinally extending collar secured to the front and projecting forwardly therefrom, and adapted to extend throug an opening in the room wall, said collar extending around the margin of the opening in the front of the casing and be.- ing open at its end adjoining said front, a stencil plate secured over the front end of said collar transparent letters secured to said stencil plate, electric lamps mounted within the illuminator, and reflector plates carried by the rigid top of the casing and the pivoted back of the casing.

2. In a desk and sign illuminator the combination of a room wall formed with an elongated opening therethrough, an elongatr ed box or casing adapted to be mounted upon the room wall and formed with a front having an elongated opening therein adapted to register with the opening in the room wall, a transparent bottom, an opaque back, and closed ends, a transparent sign mounted upon the opposite side of the room wall from the casing and covering the opening in the room wall, and means within the casing for casting illumination through the sign and through the transparent bottom of the casing.

3. A desk and sign illuminator adapted to be mounted upon a room wall and comprisi g an el ngated box or casing formed with ll it ELI a front having an elongated opening therein, a transparent bottom, an opaque back, and closed ends, a forwardly extending collar carried by the front and projecting forwardly therefrom a substantial distance and adapted to extend into an opening through the room wall, the said collar extending around the margin of the opening in the said front of the casing and being open at its end adjoining said front and conforming substantially to the opening in the room wall, a transparent sign, means for securing said sign over the front end of the collar, and means within the casing for casting illumination through the sign and through the transparent bottom of the casing.

4. A desk illuniinator comprising an elon gated box or casing formed with a front wall, atransparent bottom, closed ends, a rigid opaque top wall portion, a movable top wall portion hinged to the inner or rear edge of the top wall portion, a movable rear wall depending from the inner or rear edge of the movable top wall portion, a reflector upon the inner side of the rigid top wall portion, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined reflector upon the inner side of the movable top wall portion, an electric lamp mounting secured atthe forward upper corner of the casing and adapted to support a lamp obliquely downward.

5. A desk illuminator comprising an elongated box or casing formed with a front wall, a. transparent bottom, closed ends, a rigid opaque top wall portion, a movable top wall portion hinged to the inner or rear edge of the top wall portion, a movable rear wall depending from the inner or rear edge of the movable top wall portion, a reflector tip-- on the inner side of the rigid to wall portion, a downwardly and rearwar ly inclined reflector upon the inner side of the movable top wall portion, an electric lamp mounting secured in the forward portion of the casing and adapted to support a lamp.

6. A desk and sign illuminator adapted to be secured to a room wall and comprising an elongated box or casing formed with afront having a longitudinal opening therein,

a transparent bottom, a rigid opaque top, and closed ends, a movable back pivotally supported at the inner or rear edge of the rigid top, a forwardly extending collar secured to the front and projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted to extend through an opening in the room wall, said collar 'extending around the margin of the opening in the said front of the casing and being open at its end adjoining said front, a trans parent sign secured over the front end of said collar, and means Within the casing for casting illumination through the sign and through the transparent bottom of the casing.

7. A desk and sign illuminator adapted to be secured to a room wall and comprising an elongated box or casing formed with a front Wall having a longitudinal opening therein adapted to register with an opening in the room wall, a transparent bottom, a rigid opaque top and closed ends, a movable back pivotally supported at the inner or rear edge of the rigid top wall portion, a transparent sign, means for supporting said sign substantially parallel with the front of the casing coincident with the opening therein,

spaced forwardly a substantial distance from the said front and adapted to extend through the said opening in the room wall, and electric lamps mounted within the illuminator.

8. In a desk and sign illuminator, the combination of a room wall formed with an opening therethrough, a box or casing adapted to be mounted upon the room wall, the said casing having a transparent bottom and an opening in its side next to the room wall, the said opening registering with the opening in the room wall, a transparent sign mounted at the opposite side of the room wall from the casing and covering the opening in the room wall, and means within the casing for casting illumination through .the sign and through the transparent bottom of the casing. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

PAUL SCHUYLER VAN BLOEM. 

